Re: Why does "git log -G<regex>" works with "regexp-ignore-case" but not with other regexp-related options?

Tim Friske venit, vidit, dixit 17.04.2015 12:00:

Hi,

I wonder why  "git log -G<regexp>" works with the "regexp-ignore-case"
option but not with the other regexp-related options? Wouldn't it be
useful to make the "G<regex>" option support the following options?

  * basic-regexp
  * extended-regexp
  * fixed-strings
  * perl-regexp

Similarly I think it is not very consistent that one cannot combine any of
the above options with the "S<string>" but instead have yet another option
called "pickaxe-regex" to toggle between "fixed-string" and
"extended-regexp" semantics for the argument passed to option "S".

The defaults are different, and it is likely that users want to switch
one without switching the other.

E.g., with -S you often use strings that you'd rather not have to quote
to guard them against the regexp engine.

The description of the above options in the git-log(1) manpage of Git
version 2.1 do not explicitly say that they do not support the "G<regex>"
and "S<string>" option.

They are in different sections, since --grep etc. are log options
pertaining to matching the commit header and log message (commit
object), while S and G match in the diff and are described in the diff
section (although they are commit limitting as well).

Wouldn't it be nice to have all of the above options collaborate with each
other?

I'm afraid it's important to keep the different defaults.

Personally, I found it surprising that --regexp-ignore-case applies to
-G at all. It turns out that it was "bolted on" retroactively - it used
to apply to commit object greps only, and was made to switch also diff
grep behaviour later, as a convenience matter. The reason probaly is
that "-S" originally was directed at script usage and turned out to be
used by end users quite a bit.

I'd say most of our inconsistencies are due to convenience...

If you want to work on this, I suggest you introduce the missing long
option names such as "--grep-diff" (-G) and maybe "--grep-log" (--grep)
first and then find consistent and convenient names and defaults for the
regexp options.

Michael